Drawer slide assembly



Oct. 25, 1966 R ANDERSON ET AL 3,281,198

DRAWER SLIDE ASSEMBLY Filed Aug. 14, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 j] 4 I J3 59 Fa l /iflaerzso U/ lyne 6342325 fm/rzio r5.-

Oct. 25, 1966 ANDERSON ET AL 3,281,198

DRAWER SLIDE AS SEMBLY Filed Aug. 14, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent "ice 3,281,198 DRAWER SLIDE ASSEMBLY Ralph F. Anderson and Wayne C. Bates, Rockford, 11].,

assignors to National Lock Co., Rockford, 111., a corporation of Delaware Filed Aug. 14, 1964, Ser. No. 389,713 2 Claims. (Cl. 312343) The present invention relates to a novel drawer slide assembly and more particularly to a center track drawer slide assembly having novel means for mounting and retaining the center track within the enclosure for the drawer.

Among the objects of the present invention is the provision of a drawer slide assembly for a drawer in a cabinet or other enclosure having a single center track to guide reciprocable movement of the drawer. This single track can be utilized with any standard drawer construction without any alteration or modification of the drawer. drawer.

Another important object of the present invention is the provision of a novel drawer slide assembly havting a single center track which is supported at the rear or inner end by a novel mounting bracket secured to the interior surface of the rear of the cabinet. The bracket is adjustably mounted on the cabinet and has a central symmetrical projection adapted to fit within and have frictional contact with the interior of the track member. The forward end of the track is mounted in a bracket secured at the front interior surface of the cabinet.

A further important object of the present invention is the provision of a drawer slide assembly with a single track centrally mounted below the drawer and a drawer roller mounted on the rear of the drawer and reciprocating within the track upon movement of the drawer. Also, a pair of front rollers are mounted upon the cabinet housing at the front interior surface and support the lower edges of the sides of the drawer.

Further objects are to provide a construction of maximum simplicity, eificiency, economy and ease of assembly and operation, and such further objects, advantages and capabilities as will later more fully appear and are in herently possessed thereby.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a vertical cross sectional view through the cabinet and drawer taken on the line 1-1 of FIG. 2 and showing the center track and track roller in side elevation in the closed position of the drawer, and also shown in dotted outline when the drawer is opened.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the drawer within the cabinet or enclosure.

FIG. 3 is a vertical cross sectional view of the drawer and center track taken on the irregular line 3-3 of FIG. 2 and viewed in the direction of the arrows.

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of the drawer slide assembly.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged partial side elevational view of the center track and showing the mounting brackets for the opposite ends of the track.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged vertical cross sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of FIG. 2 and showing a front drawer supporting roller.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged vertical cross sectional view taken on the line 77 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged vertical cross sectional view taken on the line 8-8 of FIG. 2 and showing the drawer roller in side elevation.

FIG. 9 is a rear elevational view of the drawer roller of FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is an enlarged front elevational view of the mounting bracket for the inner end of the center track.

FIG. 11 is a top plan view of the bracket of FIG. 10.

3 181,198 Patented Oct. 25, 1966 FIG. 12 is an enlarged perspective view of the mounting bracket supporting the front end of the center track.

Referring more particularly to the drawings in which is disclosed an illustrative embodiment of the present invention, FIGS. 1 through 4 disclose a cabinet or enclosure 10 with an opening 11 in a front wall 12 to accommodate a drawer 13; said drawer extending to adjacent the rear wall 14 of the cabinet. The drawer 13 includes a front wall 15, side walls 16, a rear wall 17 and a bottom 18. The drawer may be of a standard configuration or design and does not have to be grooved or otherwise altered for the utilization of the slide assembly.

A single track 19 is mounted in the cabinet below the center of the drawer and receives a drawer support roller. The track is formed from a sheet metal channel having a flat side wall 21 and angular top and bottom walls 22 and 23, respectively. The channel is open at the right side as seen in FIG. 3 to provide a generally C-shaped track in cross section. The front end of the track 19 has an extension 24 of the flat side wall 21 which has an angled. lower camming surface 25 and a rounded upper surface 26 with a notch 27 formed therein. The top wall 22 is cut away as at 28 at the forward end of the track 19.

A front mounting bracket 29 (FIG. 12) has a pair of offset mounting flanges 31 each having a locating projection 31 extending normal to the flanges, the lattter provided with elongated openings 32 to adjustably receive suit-able screws or fastening means 33 to secure the bracket onto the inner edge of the cabinet front wall 12. The generally U-shaped body 34 carrying the flanges 31 has an elongated vertical slot 35 formed in the connecting wall 36 of the body 34. This slot 35 is adapted to receive and retain the hooked front end 24 of the track 19 in operative position with the notch 27 receiving the edge of the wall 36 of the body 34.

A rear mounting bracket 37 for the inner or rear end 38 of the track 19 includes a body part 39 with oppositely extending mounting or anchoring flanges 41 having elongated openings or slots 42 and 42 to receive suitable fastener means 43 to adjustably mount the bracket onto the rear wall 14 of the cabinet. The body part 39 extends inwardly or forwardly to form a symmetrical projection as viewed in FIG. 10. This projection includes a narrow central portion 44 which flares outwardly at top and bottom into enlarged cored portions 45 having angular surfaces 46 generally conforming to the angular top and bottom walls 22 and 23, respectively, of the track 19, and tapered at the projecting end 46* to facilitate entry. This bracket is formed of a plastic material, such as a high density polyethylene, so that the projection may be inserted into and frictionally held within the open rear end 38 of the track 19.

Reciprooably moving within the track 19 is a drawer roller 47 which is rotatably mounted on the end of a bracket 48 by means of a rivet or pin 49. The roller bracket 48 includes a flange 51 having an opening 52 and elongated slot 52* to receive suitable securing means for attachment to the rear wall 17 of the drawer 13. At right angles to the flange 51 is a rearwardly and downwardly extending arm 53 having an opening at its lower end to accommodate the rivet or pin 49 for the roller 47. As seen in FIG. 9, the roller is of a complementary per-ipheral configuration so as to be received and easily move within the track 19.

At the front wall 12 of the cabinet or enclosure 10 are mounted a pair of spaced front rollers 54 which support the lower edges 55 of the side walls 16 of the drawer 13. These rollers have a cylindrical periphery 56 with a radial flange 57 to aid in guiding movement of the drawer. The roller 54 is rotatably mounted on a rivet or pin 58 which in turn is supported upon a rearwardly and downwardly extending arm 59 of the bracket 60. A forward mounting portion 61 of the arm has an opening 62 and slot 62 for suitable securing means to mount the bracket 59 upon the side surface 63 defining the opening 11 in the front wall 12 of the cabinet or enclosure 10.

With the bracket 48 carrying the roller 47 mounted on the rear wall 17 of the drawer 13, the brackets 60 mounted on the side surfaces 63, and the front track bracket 29 secured to the interior surface of the front wall 12 below the opening 11, the body part 39 of the bracket 37 is inserted into the inner end 38 of the track 19 and the mounting extension 24 is inserted into the slot 35 at an angle to the horizontal and the track 19 is pivoted around the bracket 29 so that the notch 27 engages the wall 36 due to the camming action of the angled edge 25 engaging the lower end of the slot until the track is horizontal and then the securing means 43 mount the bracket 37 in its final position.

The roller 47 is then inserted into the track 19 through the cut-away portion 28 and the drawer inserted into the cabinet or enclosure 10. A depression or drop-off 64 is formed in the lower track surface 23 adjacent the rear end 38 thereof into which the roller 47 drops when the drawer 13 is in closed position and is thereby retained in such closed position but permitting it to be readily withdrawn. So that the person pulling the drawer 13 out of the cabinet or enclosure to open position will be aware of the approach of the rear wall 17 of the drawer and prevent the latter from being unintentionally withdrawn, a protrusion 65 is provided in the top wall 22 of the track 19 and a corresponding depression 66 is formed in the lower wall 23. Thus, when the roller 47 engages the protrusion 65, the drawer 13 is stopped but this roller may by-pass the protrusion by lifting the front wall of the drawer so that the roller 47 moves in the depression 66 to avoid the protrusion.

Having thus disclosed our invention, we claim:

1. A drawer slide assembly for supporting and guiding a drawer in an opening in a cabinet or the like comprising in combination a generally C-shaped track extending horizontally from the opening in the front of the cabinet to adjacent the rear of the cabinet, said track including a flat side wall and angular top and bottom Walls, a front mounting bracket secured to said cabinet below the opening to support one end of the track and including a generally U-shaped member having mounting flanges thereon, said U-shaped member having a vertical slot therein, a vertical extension of the flat side wall on the forward end of the track adapted to be received in said slot and having a lower camrning edge and an upper notched edge for interlocking engagement with said U-shaped member, a rear mounting bracket secured to the rear of the cabinet, said rear mounting bracket comprising a plastic member having mounting flanges and a central projecting part extending forwardly of the rear of the cabinet and wholly received within the inner end of the track to support said end, said projecting part having a narrow central portion diverging into enlarged end portions which terminate in angular end surfaces complementary to the angular top and bottom walls of said track and adapted to frictionally engage and be held within the end of the track, a pair of spaced drawer guide rollers mounted within the front of the cabinet supporting thereabove the sides of the drawer, a bracket secured to one side of the opening in the front of the cabinet and rotatably supporting a roller, each roller having a cylindrical periphery with a radial flange at one side, a roller bracket centrally secured to the rear of the drawer, and a roller rotatably mounted on the last mentioned roller bracket and complementarily received within said track.

2. A drawer slide assembly as set forth in claim 1, in which said track has -a depression in the bottom wall adjacent its inner end, a stop in the top wall and a vertically aligned depression in the bottom wall spaced from the front mounting bracket, and an opening in the top wall of the track adjacent the front mounting bracket.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,587,691 3/1952 Brewer 312-343 3,094,363 6/1963 Fremstad et a1 312343 FOREIGN PATENTS 281,088 6/1952 Switzerland.

CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner.

F. DOMOTOR, Assistant Examiner. 

